Financing your study with graduate assistantship

Some universities (especially large universities) offer possibility to its graduate students to get involved in research and/or teaching as part of their learning process. Graduate assistants function both as students and as professionals, enhancing their education by playing this important dual role. While studying to meet academic requirements for advanced degrees, Graduate Assistants also complement their formal studies through research, teaching, or administrative work under the supervision or tutelage of faculty or staff.

Categories of Graduate Assistants

Graduate Assistant (GA)

The term Graduate Assistant refers generally to all graduate students enrolled at the University who are employed to assist a faculty or staff member in the areas of administration and research or to serve in some instructional capacity.

Graduate Administrative Assistant (GAA)

A Graduate Administrative Assistant assists the University’s administrative staff or that of a specific department within the University by collecting, ordering, and interpreting various kinds of administrative data. A GAA may assist at registration, help with departmental exhibitions, or work on special projects of a wide variety. Minor activities may include attending seminars, doing library research, and holding conferences.

Graduate Research Assistant (GRA)

A Graduate Research Assistant assumes research-oriented responsibilities such as library research, computer programming and analysis, fieldwork, laboratory experiments, scientific investigations, writing and editing material, and averaging and assigning grades.

Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA)

A Graduate Teaching Assistant serves an instructional role in a class or laboratory within a specific department of the University, performing pedagogical (teaching) functions such as preparing lectures, conducting classes, constructing and grading tests, holding student conferences, and assigning course grades. Because the majority of Graduate Assistants are GTAs, you will find that a major portion of this Guide is devoted to specific information about teaching.

Some requirements to maintain your graduate assistantship include good academic standing, i.e., GPA 3.0 or better.

Benefits of graduate assistantship include (almost) free tuition, monthly allowance (9-10 months per year), some programs will offer health insurance and other benefits.

Remember: getting graduate assistantship is very competitive. You need to be among the best compared to other applicants.